Fence



(No Model.)

D. L. ERVIN.

FENCE.

" ,Patented Apr. 14, 1896.

UNITED i STATES ATENT OFFICE.

DARNEY LIPSCOMB ERVIN, OF COLUMBUS, MISSISSIPPI.

FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 558,164, dated April 14, 1896.

Application led March 14, 1894.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, DARNEY LIPscoMB ER- VIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Lowndes and State of Mississippi, have invented a new and useful Fence, of which the following is a speciiication.

My invention relates to improvements in fences, and particularlyto fences constructed of rails or boards secured to the posts or uprights by means of wire, the object in view being to provide a simple, inexpensive, and strong structure, capable of resisting the attacks of cattle and of preventing the escape of small stock, to provide a fence which may be constructed rapidly without the aid of skilled labor, and to provide means whereby the weight of the rails serves to tighten the tie or supporting wires and thus hold the rails firmly in contact with the surfaces of the posts.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly. pointed out in the appended. claim.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a fence constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a rear or opposite side view of one of the posts shown in Fig. l to illustrate the manner in which the loops pass around the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a slightly-modified form of the invention in which a doubled tie-wire is employed instead of the single wire shown in Figs. l and 2. Fig. 4 is a detail detached View of the tie-wire shown in Fig. 3.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

l designates the spaced posts or uprights, to which are secured the horizontal rails 2 by means of the tie or supporting wires 3.

In the form of my invention which is illustrated in Figs. l and 2 this tie or supporting wire is provided at one end with a loop 4, which is passed around and embraces the post or upright near its upper end or just beneath the lower edge of the uppermost rail, and from this loop the loose end of the wire extends upward and over the top of the post.

Serial No. 503,601. (No model.)

` The loose end, after passing outside of the uppermost panel-rail, is carried through the loop 4 at the front side of the post, is then carried down outside of the next rail, and below the lower edge thereof is carried horizontally around the post, and the loose end is passed through the angle 5 or interlocked therewith, thus forming a loop 6, as shown clearly in Fig. 1. The loose end of the tiewire is thence carried over the succeeding rail and is passed around the post to form anotherloop 6, similar to that just described, and so on to the bottom of the post, where the loose end is secured, after forming a final loop 6, bycoiling it around the post. It will thus be seen that after forming the first or starting loop 4 at the top of the post the wire is looped beneath each rail, as shown at 6, and the said loops 6 are formed by bending the wire horizontally around the post to form an angle 5 and then passing the loose end through such angle, thereby providing a loose or slip connection between each loop and the vertical portion 7 of the wire. The effect of this loose or slip connection between the loops and the vertical portion of the wire is that the downward pressure or weight ofthe rails, which are held in the pockets formed between the surface of the post, the vertical portion 7 of the wire, and the subjacent loop, causes a tightening of the loops, and hence a firmer attachment of the rails.

In the modiied form of my invention which is shown in Fig. 3, the tie or supporting wire is doubled at its center, and at this point is formed the upper loop 4, which is. engaged with the upper end of the post in the manner above described. The sides of the wire are twisted together at the rear side of the said loop and are then carried over the top of the post, as in the form shown in Figs. l and 2. The pockets or holders S for the reception of the ends of the rails are formed by crossing the sides of the wire between the adjacent upper and lower edges of contiguous rails, and, if preferred, the sides may be twisted together at these points of intersection. The lower end of the wire is fastened by passing the loose ends to the rear, twisting them together, and thenv bringing them forward, as clearly shown in Fig. 4.

IOO

From the above description it will be obvious that the means employed for the attachment of the upper end of the tie to the top of the post is such as to prevent slipping, for the reason that any tendency upon the part of the rails to sag will tighten the loop 4 by drawing the center of the rear side thereof upward.

In Fig. l I have shown the arrangement of the tie-Wires at a corner-post, and it will be seen that the upper end of one of the wiresnamely, that which is applied seeond-is attached to the loop 4 of the first-applied wire, thus doing away with the second loop. After attachment to said loop 4 of the first-applied wire the second wire is passed over the top of the post, as before described, and is looped at intervals to support the rails.

From the above description it will be seen that a small amount of wire is necessary to form the tie and that when applied to the fence said tie is made sufliciently loose to allow the loops or seats to receive the rails, and after the construction of the fence any or all of the rails of a panel may be removed to provide an opening for the passage of stock without disarranging the tie or affecting any rails which are not removed. It will be seen, furthermore, that the tie-wire is applied to the fence without staples or other securing devices, the sole means of attachment consisting in the slip noose or loop at the upper end of the post, said loop being held from upward movement upon the post by the downward pressure of the uppermost rail and the upward movement of said rail being prevented by the portion of the tie-wire which extends over the top of the post.V

While in the drawings and the above description l have shown and described rails of only one kind, it will be understood that boards, poles, dac., may be employed in lieu thereof, and, furthermore, that various other changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrifie ing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having described my invention, I claim- The combination with a post and rails, of a tie-wire provided at its upper end with a loop 4 encircling the post below and contiguous to the lower edge of the uppermost rail, the loose end of the tie-wire being connected to the loop upon the side of the post opposite to the rail, and extending upward from the plane thereof, passing over the upper end of the post and thence down over the outer side of the uppermost rail to the plane of the loop where said loose end passes through the loop, the loose end of the tie-wire being arranged below the plane of the loop to form a plurality of rail-receiving pockets, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

DABNEY LIPSCOMB ERVIN.

Witnesses E. S. DONNELL, T. A. EGGLEsToN. 

